Photographic plate and film lifter.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

J. J. LINTZ.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATE AND FILM LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29,1904.

JULfS J U/VTZ,

M @Hozuu JULES J. LINTZ, OF MONTGLAIR, NEIV JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE AND FILM LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed September 29, 1904. Serial No. 226,439.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ULES J. LINTZ, a citi zen of the Republic of France, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Plate and Film Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a lifter which while simple in construction shall at the same time be capable of use not only with varying sizes of plates, but also with films, and shallso hold the plate or film that access to its surface to touch it up with a brush may be permitted when required.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an isometric projection showing the u per surface of the lifter with a plate and m clamped therein; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken in the plane :10 a: of Fig. 1 with the plate, the film, and the handle broken away. Fig. 3, a plan view showing a lifter of a slightly-modified form and a plate clamped therein; Fig. 4, a transverse section taken in the plane y y of Fig. 3 with the plate and handle broken away; and Fig. 5, a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 3, but showing the clamping of the plate eifected with the parts in a slightly different relationship.

In all the figures like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A indicates-jaws which engage with the edges of the plate or the film, and B indicates a handle by means of which the manipulation or handling of the plate or film is efiected. The jaws A may be constructed of any appropriate material that will not be affected by either the developing or fixing solutions. I prefer, however, to construct them of hard rubber and to provide them on their inner edges with grooves a for receiving the edges of the plate or film that is to be treated. In some cases these jaws will be constructed of a length approximating that of the plate or film in connection with which they are to be employed, and when thus constructed the grooves ain their edges will preferably be formed of the contour in cross-section of that shown in Fig. 2, whereby to permit of holding not only the edgesof plate C when a plate is employed alone ,but the edge of a film D and its supporting-plate E when a film is made use of, as shown in Fig. 1. In other cases, on the other hand, these jaws A instead of extending throughout the greater portion of the length around the same.

of the plate or film will be very much shortened, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 3, and when this form is employed the lifter will be used in connection with plates alone, and the grooves a, formed in their inner faces, will preferably be of a V-shaped construction in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4. With this last-mentioned construction these jaws in operation will either engage with the opposite edges of the plate C, near one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, or be so disposed that one jaw will engage with one edge near one of its ends and the other jaw engage with its other edge near the opposite end thereof, as shown in Fig. 5, and when thus disposed in this last-mentioned relationship they may be employed in connection with a supportingplate, as F, to sustain a film when placed thereon.

While the jaws A are constructed as thus explained, the handle B may be of various forms. I prefer, however, to construct it of flexible materialas, for instance, of wirewhich may be made from German silver or other suitable material that will be unaffected by the developing or fixing solutions, and to form its outer end in the shape of a loop I), with two arms or members 1) extending inward from this loop and disposed the one across the other, with the inner end of each bent downward at an angle to its body portion and forming at its extremity a pivot upon which one of the jaws A is rotatively mounted, whereby to be capable of rotation The manner of mounting the jaws A upon these extremities may be modified in various ways. I prefer, how ever, to accomplish that result by reducing the diameter of the inner extremities of the arms or members whereby to form shoulders b and to arrange these reduced portions 6 in suitable orifices formed in the respective jaws, in which relationship they may be se cured by upsetting or riveting down their extreme ends, with metal washers b interposed between the jaws and the respective shoulders b and the upset or riveted extremities, as shown. By this means of securement the requisite friction to hold the aws in proper relationship to the handle when. seizing a plate may be insured, which.may be increased when it becomes more or less diminished by use by further upsetting or riveting down the end of the reduced portions b, as will be readily understood.

As thus constructed the separation of the jaws to engage any particular size plate or film may be efi ected by simply pressing together the loop-shaped handle B with the hand, the result of which will be to cause the jaws to move outward into the position shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, and in order to insure of this outward movement be ing more effectually accomplished while holding the two arms or members of the handle in close relationship at the point of their cross ing I surround them at that point with a ring E, which loosely embraces them. The aws A having been thus separated to receive the plate, their engagement with the edges of the latter will be effected by releasing the gripping action of the hand upon the loop i'),when these aws will by the resiliency possessed by the loop approach and engage with the edges thereof, and the plate when used alone is then ready for immersion into the required solution or other manipulation, as may be desired. On the other hand, when the lifter is used in connection with a film D a supportingplate F is employed, which is first grasped between the jaws A and the film D, then placed and supported upon it, as shown in Fig. 1. The film D being thus supported may then be immersed in the different solutions and subjected to such other treatment as may be required, and in order to permit of its removal from the lifter when desirable or necessary without disturbing the supportingplate F this supporting-plate is preferably provided at one end or both with a recess or recesses c to allow of the fingers passing through it or them to engage with the film.

With the parts constructed and arranged as above explained a lifter is provided which is not only simple in construction and convenient in operation, but in consequence of the wide limits of movement allowed. to its holding-jaws toward and away from each other is adapted to cooperate with plates or films of various widths and sizes and not only supports and firmly holds them during the various operations through which they are passed, but permits of their being touched up with a brush when required without interfering therewith.

While in the drawings I have shown and in. the above have described the invention as employed only in connection with plates and films, it is to be understood that the invention is adapted to be used in connection with.

.ing-jaws provided with a longitudinally-disposed groove in the inner edge of each, of a 'handle composed of two arms or members with the inner end of each bent at an angle to the plane of the said handle and having one of such holding-jaws pivoted directly on each of these inner bent ends, whereby to be capable of a rotary movement around the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a handle con structed of resilient material and having a loop in its outer end with two arms or members disposed across each other, and the inner end portion of each bent at an angle to the plane of the said handle, of a holdingjaw pivoted directly upon the inner bent end of each of these arms or members, whereby to be capable of rotation around the same, and provided with a longitudinally-disposed groove in its inner edge, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a handle constructed of resilient material and having a loop in its outer end. with two arms or members crossing each other and bent at their inner ends at an angle to their respective body portions, and a holding-j aw pivoted directly upon the inner bent end of each. of these arms or members whereby to be rotatable around the same, and provided with a longitudinallydisposed groove in its inner edge, of a supporting-plate adapted to be gripped and supported between such jaws and. provided with means at its end or ends through which the finger of the operator may pass to seize the end of a film or paper supported upon such plate, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of September, 1904.

' JULlCS J. LINTZ.

IVitnesses WM. H. ArPLEroN, R. F. SWEENEY. 

